Despite being a fan of the bands since the late 90s, I never got a chance to see Limblifter live before they disbanded, and for various reasons I always managed to miss Ryan Dahle's solo shows. Even when they announced their reunion and a show at NXNE, the weekend was just too hectic to see them. I thought maybe I was fated to never see the band live, but my luck turned around with the announcement of a Vancouver show. And it's not just a series of reunion dates; Dahle recently hinted that the band might just be releasing some new material.

It was also an added bonus to see Acres of Lions open up the show. The Victoria band isn't breaking down any barriers with their pop-rock sound, but they are ridiculously fun to watch live. The whole band is highly energetic, especially frontman Jeff Kalesnikoff, who got the growing crowd singing and clapping along throughout the set. Starting off with "Set Me On Fire" and "Kids" from their latest album, Collections, the band drawing the slowly-growing crowd towards the stage. They threw in a new song -- which I didn't catch the name of-- and wrapped up with the infinitely catchy "Reaction" and the much softer "Collections", both of which once again got the crowd involved.

Not too long, Limblifter hit the stage, with Ryan Dahle joined by Megan Bradfield and Brent Follett -- both of which were in the last incarnation of Limblifter -- and Sloan's Greg MacDonald. They started off with a bang, opening the show with "Vicious" and going on to play about an hour of material spanning the entire Limblifter catalogue.
While I can't compare them to their first incarnation, they sounded great; the four of them meshed well together and the songs were familiar, but didn't feel dated. Like they never missed a step.
There was lots of songs got 'recognition applause' -- a big bout of cheering one or two notes in -- throughout the night, like the soaring "Wake Up To The Sun" and staccato "Screwed It Up". Other highlights included "Fiercely Co-Dependant" from the last Limblifter album, I/O, and the earworm inducing "Chop Chop" from Dahle's solo Irrational Anthems.
They wrapped up the set with their biggest hit, "Ariel vs Lotus" and after being met with chants of "ten more songs", were back for the obvious encore. Starting with the soft and beautiful "Alarm Bells", they exploded into "Dominant Monkey" and "Tinfoil" to end off the night.

It was great to finally see them, and I'm definitely looking forward to seeing what comes out of the reunion.

setlist
Vicious, Cordova, Cellophane, Count To 9, Jumbo Jet Headache, Chop Chop, Wake Up To The Sun, Fiercely Co-Dependant, In/Out, Hotel Knife, Screwed It Up, I Wonder If, On The Moon, Perfect Day To Disappear, Ariel v Lotus.
[encore] Alarm Bells, Dominant Monkey, Tinfoil.

Even if you don't know the name Ryan Dahle, there is a good chance you have heard something he had been a part of. Damn near everyone who was around in Vancouver in the 90s knows Age of Electric and/or Limblifter; or at the very least have heard a song or two from either. Both were seminal bands in the Vancouver scene and produced a multitude of hits. The common element to both bands were brothers Kurt and Ryan Dahle. With AoE breaking up in '99, the brothers put out one more Limblifter album together before Kurt went on to play with a little group you may have heard of... The New Pornographers. Since then, Ryan has released another Limblifter album in '04 with a new band, including Megan Bradfield & Patrick Steward, along with a multitude of different projects to keep busy. Collaborating with and backing for Matthew Good, playing with Jason Zumpano's Attics & Cellars and producing for bands like Hot Hot Heat (but we won't hold that against him, heh) and The Manvils. After years of more behind the scenes things, Ryan is ready to step back into the spotlight with the release of his first solo album, Irrational Anthems. He's joined by some other fine musicians, including Bradfield on bass & sometimes-vocals and brother Kurt on percussion.

The album opens with lead single "Chop Chop", which is instantly infectious and draws you in immediately. "Windmilling" and "Target Practice" both bring in the strings and start to show you the depth of the album. It continues with the mellow and somewhat minimalistic "Hya", which builds to a grand finish. "Shutdown" may be the most similar to the Limblifter of yore, as it brings the energy back up again with an almost erratic quality to it. "Sixes & Sevens" keeps up the energy before "Awfulizing", perhaps the most influenced by current music. It is the best showcase of Bradfield's vocals on the album and contains one of my favourite lines, "I spoke to my habits and they agreed to be hobbies"
"Agoraphobe" is a rerecording of a song he collaborated on with Matt Good, put out as a demo under Jack Pillowhead. I was slightly disappointed that Good was not on the album version, but every other aspect is a vast improvement, to make what is my favourite song of the album, Good or no Good. The gentle, sweeping songs continue with "Beta King Stilts", starting piano-y before building into a sweetly melodic number. "Eek, It's Hallowe'en" is whimsical and, yes, haunting, and leads into the musically beautiful -- and lyrically intriguing -- "Lion Piano", which ends the album with Dahle hinting at his lyrical depth by asking us "take my jokes seriously / don’t take my jokes seriously."

All of the best aspects of Dahle are on showcase here. His knack for both catchy hooks and sweeping songs; his ability to draw you in; and his great way with words & wordplay -- which has always been one of my favourite things about his songs. Irrational Anthems gives you a sense of familiarity, but not by sacrificing it's currency. Even though it still sounds like Ryan Dahle we all know & love, he's not just going to rest on the past, but keep exploring. People who are looking for a rehash of the 90s will probably be turned off by it (perhaps they should check out Crash Karma for some people stuck in their 90s phase). But fans of the band, or good songwriting in general, will be struck by this, and while it may take a few spins to really appreciate it, the album is definitely worth your time.

Download Awfulizing

Download Agoraphobe

Download Lion Piano

Clicky to exchange monies for music

Limblifter @ Venue -- 09/27/12

Irrational Anthems by Ryan Dahle